Steering apparatus.



Patented Dot. I6. |900. C. L. RUGERS.

STEERING APPARATUS.

l (Application led Jan. 30, 1900.) l (Ilo Nl'odel.)

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NTTE STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHRISTOPHER LOGAN ROGERS, OF HELENA, MONTANA,

STEERING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 659,767, dated October 16, 1900. Appnmion nea January 30,1900. seminars-14. (No model.)

T0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHRISTOPHER LOGAN ROGERS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Helena, in the county of Lewis and Clarke and State of Montana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Steering Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention relates to marine propelled vessels; and the object thereof is to provide an improved propelling apparatus adapted to be controlled so as to operate as a steering means for the boat or vessel to which it is applied.

With this object in view my invention consists in arranging the propeller so that the shaft to which it is secured can be operated to assume a position at a tangent to the longitudinal center of the vessel either from right to left or left to right, whereby the vessel will be guided to travel in a predetermined path decided upon by the operator.

The invention further consists in certain parts and combinations of parts, all of which will be specifically described hereinafter, pointed out in the claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal sectional View of the rear portion of a vessel to which my apparatus has been applied, the several shafts being shown in elevation; and Fig. 2 is a horizontal longitudinal section through the same.

Referring now to the drawings by reference-numerals, 5 designates a rear portion of the hull of a vessel provided with the elongated slot 6, extending transversely across the stern thereof and surrounding a lining-rin g 7.

In carrying out my invention it is necessary to change the usual method of driving the propellers, which I do as follows: The usual propeller-drivin g shaft 8 terminates at a suitable distance forward of the stern of the boat and carries at its free end a yoke 9, sleeved thereon and comprising the head 10, from which project the two arms 11 and 12, to the ends of which is secured a removable bar 13 by the screws 14 and 15. The propeller-carrying shaft 16 carries a similar yoke 17, en-

gaging the first-named yoke at right angles,

whereby a universal joint is made. Resting upon the bottom of the vessel is a bearingblock 18, in which is journaled the pivoted propeller-shaft support 19, which is sleeved upon the two bearing-blocks 2O and 21 and from the top of which projects a rod or shaft 22, engaged by suitable means (not shown) for controlling the angle of the shaft 16 with relation to the vessel, as will be presently explained.

In order that water may be prevented from gaining access to the interior of the vessel through the slot 6, I arrange a concavo-con- Vex flexible plate 23 on the propeller-carrying shaft 16, the convex side of which at all times bears against the edges of the ring 7.

In order to more securely effect the exclusion of the water, two oppositely-disposed arms 24 and 25 are secured to the bearingblock 20, one at each side, and engage in guides 26 and 27, near the respective ends of the plate 23. Each arm carries an adjustingblock, Y(designated by the reference-numeral 28,) which is designed to bear against the concave side of the plate to force the opposite surface against the ring 7, and these blocks can be adjusted by means of set-screws 29 and 30. Thus it will be seen that when the shaft 22 is operated to throw the propellercarrying shaft at a tangent, either to the right or left, the vessel will be steered out of its course in the desired direction, and the arc described thereby will be wholly dependent upon the distance the propeller is from the longitudinal center of the vessel to which it is attached.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination with a vessel having an elongated opening in its stern, of a propellercarrying shaft projecting therethrough, a drivin g-shaft coupled to the first-named shaft, and means for adjusting the angle of the rstnamed shaft independently of the drive-shaft, and a exible plate carried by the propellershaft, the outer surface of which is adapted to be forced against the edges of the opening face ofv the plate against the edges of said to close the same. p opening, substantially as described. ro

2. The combination with a vessel having an In testimony whereof I aiix my signature elongated opening in its stern, a. propellerin presence of two witnesses.

5 carrying shaft secured in said vessel and pro- CHRISTOPHER LOGAN ROGERS.

jecting through said opening, a flexible plate Witnesses: carried by said shaft and adapted to close the l ARTHUR J. CRAYEN,

opening, and means for forcing the outer sur- ANDREW OCONNELL. 

